Sheet metal wainscotting for bathtub enclosures or the like



Oct. 11, 1966 c m 3,277,617

SHEET METAL WAINSCOTTING FOR BATHTUB ENCLOSURES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug.23, 1965 F l G. 3

FIG. 5 7 54 I3 55 32b INVENTOR Isaac Floyd McBride BY I M ATTORNEYUnited States Patent 3,277,617 SHEET METAL WAINSCOTTING FOR BATHTUBENCLOSURES OR THE LIKE Isaac F. McBride, P.0. Box 681, Boise, IdahoFiled Aug. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 304,074 3 Claims. (Cl. 5235) Thisinvention relates to sheet metal wainscotting for bathtub enclosures orsimilar spaces, and has as its primary object the provision of awainscotting comprised of single sheets of steel or other desiredmetalabout the three enclosed sides of a bathtub enclosure to obviatethe necessity of the use of tile or other similar material and thegrouting customarily employed with such tile.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such awainscottin-g, together with improved means for holding the sheets ofmetal in juxtaposition to the walls, as well as means whereby a singlesheet of metal may be inserted in the rear of the enclosure bymanipulation without the necessity for the use of screws or similarfastening devices.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a structureof this nature whereby the necessity for replacement of tiling, whenloosened or cracked by the settling of the building structure, or othersimilar occurrences, is obviated.

Still anotherobject of the invention is the provision of such awainscotting wherein the corners will be made water tight without thenecessity of caulking or other sealing.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter provided with trim beads around the top and end edges thereof,wherein the sheets of metal wainscotting are securely held in positionwithin the beads.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of suchwainscotting wherein the sheets of metal may be glazed for ornamentalpurposes in a wide variety of colors with the beads in contrasting ormatching colors as desired, and wherein any suitable ornamentation ordecoration may be readily applied to the sheet metal.

A further object of the invention is the provision of wainscotting ofthis character which may be readily applied to a Wide variety of sizesand shapes of bathtub enclosures.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangementsof parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fullypointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawingwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, parts thereof being shown in section, ofa bathtub enclosure provided with wainscotting in accordance with theinstant invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, partially broken away, takensubstantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1 as viewed in the directionindicated by the arrows.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, partially broken away, takensubstantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 as viewed in the directionindicated by the arrows.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail perspective view of one of thecorners of the wainscottin-g, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing a modified form ofthe invention wherein a center strip is provided for two sheets inend-to-end relation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1,there is shown at a bathtub of any desired conventional type which isset in a bathtub enclosure which is comprised of front and rear endwalls 11 and 12 respectively, and a back or rear wall 13, the tub beingsized to fit conveniently within the recess formed by the walls 11, 12and 13. The wainscotting or enclosure for the tub is comprised of afirst end sheet 14 which is suitably apertured to provide for theextension of control handles 15 therethrough and an opposedsubstantially identical end sheet 15. The end sheets 14 and 15 areprovided with right angularly disposed flanges 16 and 17 respectively.Secured to rear wall 13 adjacent to each flange 16 and 17, respectively,is a strip 18 and 19 respectively which extends parallel to its adjacentflange but is spaced therefrom by spacers 18' and 19 to provide channels20 and 21 respectively. The strips are Wider than their associatedflanges and are provided in the extending edges thereof with screw holes22 for the reception of securing screws 23. Strips 18 and 19 areadapted, when the sheets 14 and 15 are in position, to abut rear wall13.

The channels 20 and 21 include rear walls 24 and 25 respectively andconfronting open ends 26 and 27. The channels are adapted to receive theopposite ends of a rear sheet 30, the rear sheet being carefully cut tobe of a width in excess of the distance between the confronting openends 26 and 27 of the channels but less than the distance between therear end 24 or 25 and the opposite open end 27 or 26 respectively,thereof. By virtue of this arrangement one end 31 of rear wall 30 may beslipped into the channel 21, for example, until the opposite edge 32 ofsheet 30 is inward relative to the open end 26 of the opposite channel.The end 32 is then aligned with, the opposite channel and the entiresheet moved to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1 so that the ends of strips18 and 19 cover the edges 31 and 32. At this time the sheet 30 iscompletely prevented from disengagement except by a reverse procedureanalogous to that just described.

It is to be noted that by this arrangement the heads of screws 23extending through flanges 16 and 17 are completely concealed.

The outer or tree edges of end sheets 14 and 15 are protected by beads35, which are substantially identical but opposite, and which comprisegenerally channelshaped members which include rear spring clips 36 whichhold the beads to the exposed edges. Screw holes 37 may accommodateholding screws 23 identical to the previously described screws, with theheads of the screws being covered by the outer wall of the bead.

Identical beads 40 provided with substantially identical internal springclips 41 are positioned over the tops of the end and rear panels, withthe extremities 42 of rear head 40 being widened, if desired, to overliethe tops of the flanges 16 and 17. If screws are employed to hold rearpanel 30 in position, they may be extended through that portion of thetop of the sheet covered by the bead 40.

The lower portion of each sheet is adapted to seat in a channel 45 whichis positioned on the edge of the tub .10 immediately adjacent the rim 46thereof which is normally embedded in the adjacent wall, and the channeltightly caulked as at 47 to the top of the margin of the tub 10. Thelength of channel 45 is such that the ends thereof terminate short ofthe opposed edges of flanges 16 and 17 and strips 18 and 19. i

The sheets 14, 15 and 30 may be made of any desired material, althoughsheet metal such as sheet steel or sheet aluminum has been foundpreferable. Obviously, waterproof plastic may be employed if desired.The sheets may be glazed in any desired color or combination of colors,or may be marked in simulation of varicolored tiles, and the beads 35and 40 may be correspondingly or contrastingly colored as desired toprovide a highly ornamental effect.

In FIG. 5 a slightly modified form of construction is disclosed whereinrear sheet 30* is comprised of two portions 30a and 30b, and a centralstrip general-1y indicated at 50 is extended vertically down the centerof the rear wall 1 3. The strip 50 includes a plate-like portion 51 anda central vertical strip 52 on opposite sides of which extend themargins of a flange plate 53 to provide oppositely disposed channels 54and 55 into which the ends 32a and 32b of the opposed portions may beinserted, with the opposite edges of the portions extending respectivelyinto the channels 21 and 20, the method of insertion being identical tothat previously described. In this modification of the invention theedges of the plate 51 extend beyond the ends of the flanges 53 and maybe provided with openings 56 for the reception of additional securingscrews 23, the screw heads being completely concealed by the edges ofthe portions 30a and 30b when the .parts are in related assembly.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided animproved wainscotting for bathtub enclosures which accomplishes all ofthe objects of this invention and others including many advantages ofgreat practical utility.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as manymodifications may be made of the embodiment hereinbefore shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Sheet wainscotting for a bathtub enclosure including a rear wall andopposite end walls, and enclosing a bathtub having one side in abuttingrelation with said rear wall and its opposite ends each abutting one endwell, including a generally U-shaped horizontal channel extending alongthe top of the side of the bathtub abutting said rear wail, verticallyextending strips secured to the rear wall each having its outside edgein abutting 4 relation with the adjacent end wall, vertical spacerscarried by each strip adjacent its associated endwall, end sheetscovering a substantial portion of each end wall and each having asubstantially perpendicular flange at its end adjacent said rear wall,each flange abutting a spacer, and being of a Width greater than thespacer, but less than that of the adjacent strip, each said strip andits adjacent flange defining a vertical channel having one end closed bya spacer, the other end being open with the open ends in confrontingrelation, and a rear sheet of a width greater than the distance betweenthe confronting open ends of said channel but less than the distancebetween the closed ends of said vertical channels.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein screw holes are provided in theedges of said strips extending beyond said flanges and screws areextended into the adjacent wall to secure said strips thereto, thesubsequent insertion of said rear wall behind said flanges covering thescrew heads.

3. The structure of claim -1 wherein beads are secured along the outeredges of said end walls and additional beads are secured along thetopedges of said end and re walls. 1

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Q,1(T7,62A-2/1933 Berger 52-476 2,677,268 5/ 1964 Hobbs 52-277 3,158,237 11/1964Schooler 52-277 'FRA-NK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, 111., Examiner.

R. S. VERMUT, Assistant Examiner.

1. SHEET WAINSCOTTING FOR A BATHTUB ENCLOSURE INCLUDING A REAR WALL ANDOPPOSITE END WALLS, AND ENCLOSING A BATHTUB ONE SIDE IN ABUTTINGRELATION WITH SAID REAR WALL AND ITS OPPOSITE ENDS EACH ABUTTING ONE ENDWALL, INCLUDING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED HORIZONTAL CHANNEL EXTENDING ALONGTHE TOP OF THE SIDE OF THE BATHTUB ABUTTING SAID REAR WALL, VERTICALLYEXTENDING STRIPS SECURED TO THE REAR WALL EACH HAVING ITS OUTSIDE EDGEIN ABUTTING RELATION WITH THE ADJACENT END WALL, VERTICAL SPACERSCARRIED BY EACH STRIP ADJACENT ITS ASSOCIATED END WALL, END SHEETSCOVERING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF EACH END WALL AND EACH HAVING ASUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR FLANGE AT ITS END ADJACENT SAID REAR WALL,EACH FLANGE ABUTTING A SPACER, AND BEING OF A WIDTH GREATER THAN THESPACER, BUT LESS THAN THAT OF THE ADJACENT STRIP, EACH SAID STRIP ANDITS ADJACENT FLANGE DEFINING A VERTICAL CHANNEL HAVING ONE END CLOSED BYA SPACER, THE OTHER END BEING OPEN WITH THE OPEN ENDS IN CONFRONTINGRELATION, AND A REAR SHEET OF A WIDTH GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEENTHE CONFRONTING OPEN ENDS OF SAID CHANNEL BUT LESS THAN THE DISTANCEBETWEEN THE CLOSED ENDS OF SAID VERTICAL CHANNELS.